SEMO rolls rival in impressive fashion, though injuries mount

In some regards, many actually, the 2023 home-opener played by the Southeast Missouri State football squad was absolutely magnificent.

The Redhawks christened a renovated Houck Field on Saturday with a complete 45-7 domination of Big South/OVC Football Association rival Lindenwood in front of a large throng of 7,000-plus fans.

“I was super excited,” Redhawk junior quarterback Paxton DeLaurent said of the rebuilt stadium and brand-new field turf. “I didn’t know what to expect. When I got here (in 2022), I’ve only played with half of a stadium.”

However, the brilliance of the Redhawks (1-1, 1-0 Big South/OVC) didn’t come without a heavy, heavy price in terms of injuries suffered, which two games into what is projected to be a magical season, is becoming a recurring theme.

A week ago, in a road loss at Kansas State, SEMO lost its most productive defensive player, junior linebacker Bryce Norman, to a shoulder injury, and he sat out Saturday’s game but may return for next week’s home game against another rival, Southern Illinois.

On Saturday, the Redhawks lost, arguably, their most productive offensive player, senior wideout Ryan Flournoy, to a broken wrist, and it will be quite some time before he returns.

“I don’t think that it is season-ending,” 10th-year SEMO coach Tom Matukewicz said following the win. “He’ll have surgery and put a pin in there.”

Ironically, Flournoy, for a while, was one of many fabulous aspects of SEMO’s play on Saturday.

In less than one half of action, Flournoy hauled in 10 receptions for 99 yards and the game’s opening score.

SEMO was already down a man in their passing attack, as senior wideout Dalyn McDonald, who missed the Kansas State game with a toe injury, was knocked out of the game on the opening kickoff on Saturday.

“We’ve got a lot of playmakers, though,” DeLaurent said. “And they stepped up big time.”

Southeast Missouri State receiver Damoriea Vick catches a pass in the endzone for a touchdown against Lindenwood on Saturday, Sept. 9, at Houck Stadium.Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

One of those “playmakers” was senior Damoriea Vick, who matched Flournoy’s 10 receptions, totaling 101 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“I feel really good about our playmakers,” DeLaurent said.

There was no shortage of stars to shine, as SEMO retained the ‘MRV Bank Game Ball Brawl’ trophy for the second year.

DeLaurent was an incredibly efficient 27 of 35 passing for 267 yards and three scores without an interception while graduate student runner Geno Hess pounded the Lions (1-1, 0-1) for 115 yards and a pair of scores.

Even the defense got involved in showing its skills when sophomore defensive back Henry Pickens III jumped a Lindenwood route and picked off the pass and streaked 72 yards for a touchdown, which put the Redhawks up 38-0 before halftime had even been reached.

“As soon as I caught it,” Pickens III said of what is the fourth-longest interception return in SEMO history, “I knew that I was going to the crib, for sure.”

The Redhawks totaled 488 yards of total offense, and though fumbled once, didn’t have a turnover while picking off three Lion passes (linebacker Mali Walton and defensive back Antonio Taylor had the other two snags).

“It was important in a lot of ways,” Matukewicz said of the win. “Of course, it was the conference opener, but really, it was way bigger than that.

“To reopen Houck like that is exactly what you want.”

Redhawk junior linebacker Christian Fuhrman led the SEMO defense with eight tackles while Walton added six stops.

The No. 14-ranked Redhawks will host the No. 23-ranked Salukis (2-0) on Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN+). Southern Illinois beat FBS program Northern Illinois 14-11 on Saturday.